Stapling implement



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2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Sept. 5, 1944. G. H. HARRED Y y STAPLING IMPLEM'ENT Filed sept. 4, 1943 Iii@ Sept. 5, 1944.

, e. H. HARRED 'STAPLI'NG IMPLEMENT v Filed Sept. 4,

, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Sept. 5, 1944 STAPLING IMPLEMENT George H. Harred, East Greenwich, R. lI., assignor to Boston Wire Stitcher Company, Portland, Maine, a corporation of Maine Application. September 4, 1943, Serial No. 501,257

` Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in stapling implements for attaching papers together, fastening tags and labels to boxes an-d cases, tacking paper to drawing boards and for fastening various other articles to different objects.

One object of the invention'is to provide an implement of the type indicated which is adaptable for use with staples having legs of different lengths.

Another object of the invention is to provide an implement of the type indicated having aV magazine provided with a core for mounting staples having legs of different lengths and guiding means cooperating with the ycore for supporting staples having relatively short legs to prevent them from canting as they are driven into the work.

.Another object of the invention is to provide an implement of the type indicated in which the guiding member is adapted to be brought into play when staples having relatively short legs are used and to be automatically displaced from operative position when staples having longer legs are employed.

Another object of the invention is to provide an implement of the type indicated having a door or gate for closing the forward end of the magazine to retain the staples therein and adapted to be opened to permit loading of the staples onto the magazine-core, with means on the gate engageable with the staple-guiding member for displacing it when the gate is opened for a staple-loading operation.

Another object of the invention is to provide an implement of the type indicated having stapleguiding means which are of simple construction and eficient in operation for performing the intended function.

Further objects of the improvement are set forth in the following specification which describes a preferred form of construction of the invention. by Way of example, as illustrated by the accompanying drawings. In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side-elevational View of a conventional type of stapling implement or tacler illustrating the present improved staple-guiding means as applied to use therewith;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged side-elevational view of the forward end of the implement with a part of the casing shown as removed and the resilient staple-guiding means displaced from operative operating on staples having relatively short legs;

Fig, 4 is a view showing the gate as in open position to permit the insertion of staples into the magazine and indicating the manner in which the operation of opening the gate renders the staple-guiding means inoperative;

Fig. 5 isV a transversesectional view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 2 and illustrating the stapleguiding member as moved to inoperative position when staples with long legs are used;

Fig.` 6 is a similar view taken on line 5 6 of Fig. 3 showing the staple-guiding member in operative position to guide staples having relatively short legs;

Fig. 7 is a front elevational view of a rportion of the implement with the parts shown'in the same relationship as in Fig. 4;

Fig. 8 is a sectional plan view of the front end of the implement taken generally on line 8--8 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 9 is a similar view taken generally on line 9-9 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 10 is a perspective View of the forward end of the staple-core indicating the manner in which staples having legs of different lengths are supported thereon; and

Fig. 11 is a perspective view of the door or gate for closing the end of the staple-magazine.

It is a common practice for attaching sheets of paper together, fastening tags and labels to boxes and cases and for other purposes to provide a stapling implement for driving the staples. Such devices usually comprise a magazine enclosing a core upon which the staples are mounted to adapt them to be fed into position to be driven into or through the work by a staple-driver arranged for reciprocation at the forward end of the magazine. For different types of Work it is necessary to use staples having relatively short or long legs and unless the magazine-core is adapted for supporting such varieties of staples,

several different stapling devices must be emf viding different stapling devices for driving staples position by the use of staples having relatively I having legs of varying lengths it has been proposed to construct the staple-core of suitable dimensions for supporting both staples having long legs as well as those having short legs; The staples are fed forwardly into a throat at the front end of the device and driven through the throat into the work. Usually, as the staple is driven through the throat it will be guided at the rear by the remaining staples on the core to prevent it from canting and being bent to clog the machine. This means of guiding the staples is practicable with staples having relatively long legs, but when staples With shorter legs are supported on a core adapted for those with relatively long legs the staples with short legs are liable to cant rearwardly as they are driven downwardly beyond the staples remaining on the core.

It is therefore a purpose of the present invention to provide means for guiding staples having relatively short legs as they are driven into the work to prevent them from rocking or canting in the throat for use in conjunction with a magazine-core adapted for supporting staples with either long or short legs. The present irnproved guiding means comprises, in general, resiliently-operated means positioned adjacent the throat of the implement and adapted to contact the legs of staples having relatively short legs as they are driven through the throat beyond the staples remaining on the core whereof to prevent them from canting in the throat. The guiding means is adapted to be displaced by staples having longer legs as the latter are placed on the core to render the guiding means inoperative. 'I'he guiding means is also adapted to be displaced or shifted out of operative position for loading staples onto the magazine-core.

Referring to the present drawings, the improved staple-guiding means is herein illustrated as applied to use with an implement of the socalled tacker type, but it is to be understood that it may be employed to advantage with other forms of stapling devices. The implement as herein shown by way of example comprises a main frame 2 which may be constructed Vas a die-casting formed with a head-3 for containing the stapling mechanism and a handle 4 terminating in a rearward leg 5. The lower portion of the head 3 is cored out or slotted to provide opposite flanges 8', between which the forward end of a base-plate I is fastened, the rearward end of the plate being held in an opening 9 in the foot 5. The base-plate IIl is fastened in place by a pin or rivet II inserted through the sides of the head 3 and a pin I2 extending through the foot 5. The forward end of the plate I0 is cut away at the sides t0 form a narro-w projection I3, see Figs. 7 and l0.

Mounted on top of the plate I0 and fastened in place in any suitable manner is a staple-core I of inverted channel shape. As shown most clearly in Fig. 10, the core I5 is constituted by a top wall I6 with side walls I1 folded downwardly therefrom and bent laterally outward in -beveled to provide opposite cam-surfaces 20.

The present drawings illustrate a type of staples S having relatively long legs while those having shorter legs are indicated by the reference character s the legs of the staples being designated by the reference characters S and s', respectively. The staples S or s are mounted on the core I5 by sliding 'them rearwardly through the opening at the front of the head 3 with their Yspaced relation to the sides of the core.

crossbars resting across the top of the core and their legs straddling the sides I1 thereof as represented by full lines in Figs. 5 and 6 and indicated by dash-lines in Fig. 10. The staples are prevented from rising on the core I 5 by means of a channel-shaped guide-plate 23 attached to the frame 2 and overlying the entire length of the core, the guide-plate being provided on its under side with a detent-shoulder 24 adjacent its rearward end.

The forward end of the magazine-core I5 is closed by a pivoted door or gate 25. The gate 25, shown in detail in Fig. l1, comprises a front wall 26 for cooperation with the end of the core I5 to provide a throat 4D through which the staples S or s are driven and side walls 21 and 28 extending rearwardly from the front wall in One side wall 21 of the gate 25 is cut away at a point substantially midway between its upper and lower ends to provide an opening 30. The gate 25 is positioned Within the opening between the flanges 8 at the lower end of the head 3 and pivotally mounted on a pin 3l extending through the sides of the head. The side walls 21 and 28 of the gate 25 are extended rearwardly from the pivot-pin 3| in wings 32 having their rearward edges curved in an ar-c concentric to the axis of the pin. The lower straight edge 33 of one of the Wings 32 of the gate 25 is designed to serve as the means for retracting the staple guide from its operative position when the gate is opened in a manner as explained hereinafter.

The arcuate edges of the wings 32 of the gate 25 are provided with detent-recesses 35 for engagement with the forward edge of a latch-bar 36 slidably mounted in guideways 31 formed as slots in the rearward side of the head 3 ofthe frame 2. The rearward edge of the latch-bar 35 is engaged by the lower end of a leaf-spring 38 fastened to the under side of the handle 4 of the implement, see Fig. 1. To permit the gate 25 to be rocked to the position'shown in Fig. 4 for loading the staples onto the magazine-core I5 the gate is first unlocked by sliding the latch-bar 3S rearwardly in the guideways 31 against the action of the spring 38. The forward edge of the latch-bar thrus will be disengaged from the detent-recesses 35 in the gate, after which the gate may be manually rocked to open position.

The staples S or s on the magazine-core I5 are advanced therealong into the throat 4D by means of a channel-shaped pusher 42 closely fitting the top and sides of the core and slidable L therealong. As shown in Fig. 1, the pusher 42 has vertical slots 43 in its opposite sides for receiving the reduced ends of a pin 44 projecting through longitudinally-extending slots 45 in the sides of the magazine-core I5. TheV pusher 42 is caused to be advanced along the core I5 by means of a helical spring 41 connected at one end to the pin 44. The spring 41 extends longitudinally between the sides of the core I5 and is looped around a studr48 at the forward end f thereof and then stretched rearwardly with its opposite end anchored toa transverse pin 49 at the rearward end of the core. The pusher 42 may be retracted to inoperative position manually by sliding it rearwardly against the action of the spring 41 to the position indicated by dashlines in Fig. l. To retain the pusher 42 in this position. its upper forward edge is engaged with the vdetent-shoulder 24 on the under side of the guide-plate 23.

The staple-applying means may comprise a hollow plunger 52 slidably mounted in a vertical guideway 53 in the head-portion 3 of thev frame 2. The plunger 52 has a hand-rest or knob 54 at its upper end 4and a driver 55 attached to its forward face. The lower end of the driver v55 depends below the plunger 52 with its edge positioned in the throat 40 slightly above the top of the staple to be driven. The plunger 52 and driver 55 normally are maintained in elevated position by means of ra helical spring '5l having one end bearing against the under side of the knob 54 and its opposite end seated on an angular abutment 58 supported by the ends of wings 59 bent upwardly from the guide-plate 23, see Figs. l and 3. The upward movement of the plunger 52 is limited by a .spring-actuated pin 60 in the head 3 engageable with -a shoulder at the end of a longitudinal slot in the plunger.

It has been explained that when staples S having relatively long legs S are used in the implement the legs ofthe staples on the coreV I5 provide guiding edges along whichv -the'staple being driven is adapted to slide to prevent its legs from rocking or canting rearwardly. When staples s having relatively short legs s are employed,

however, the staple beingfdrivenwill eventually pass beyond the end of the legs of the foremost remaining staple on the core and consequently its legs will be freeto rock or cant rearwardly in the throat 40.

In accordance with the present invention, means are provided for guiding staples having relatively short legs toprevent them from canting rearwardly in the throat 40 during the driving operation. A-preferred form of construction l of the staple-guiding means comprises a. member 68 embodied in a leaf-spring having one end fastened to the side of the head 3 of the frame 2 and its opposite free end bent inwardly at rightangles to provide a finger 'IILv The nger 10 normally projects inwardly through a slot 12 yin one vside flange 8 of the head 3 and also through the slot or opening 30, previously described, in the side of the gate 25. The end of the finger 10 thus engages `against the side of the magazinefcore I5 at a slight distance rearwardly of its forward end as shown most clearly in Figs, 6, 9 and 10 of the drawings. The complete stapling implementhaving been described in detail, its -method of operation is explained as follows:

To prepare the implement for operation the magazine-core I5 is loaded with a supply of staples. This is accomplished by rst retracting the pusher 42 to its inoperative position, indicated by dash-lines in Fig. 1, with the forward n edge of its topportion engaged by the detentshoulder 24 on the guide-plate 23. The latchbar 36 next is withdrawn from engagement with the recesses 35 in the side wings 32 of the gate 25, whereafter the gate may be swung to the open position shown in Figs. 4 and '7. During this rocking movement of the gate 25 into open position the edge 33 of its side wing 32 will cam against the rearward side of the nger 10 to spring the guide-member 68 laterally outward and thereafter the wing will slide across the edge of the nger to maintain' it in spaced relation to the side of the core I5 so that the staples may be slid into place thereon.

Assuming that the work is to be fastened with staples S having relatively long legs S', a strip or stick comprising a series of the staples cemented together is slid onto the core I5, after which the gate 25 is swung back into closed position. As the gate reaches its closed position 75 thefrecesses35 in its wings 32 will be brought into alinement with the latch-bar 36 and the latter will snap into the recesses to lock the gate in place. Substantially simultaneously with this action the wing 32 on the gate 25 will release the linger 'I0 to permit it tovspring in-Y wardly toward the side of the core I5 to eng-age against the legs of the staples mounted thereon.

The staple-pusher 42 then may be released from the detent-shoulder 24 and permitted to move alongthe coreI5 under the action of the spring 41 to feed the strip of staples S forwardly to enter the leading staple into the throat 40,

When staples S having relatively longlegs S' are supplied to the implement their legs act to withhold the spring-pressed guiding finger 'I0 from engagement with the side of the magazine-core I5, the end of the finger then engaging against the side of the staple-strip as the staples are advanced along the core and into the throat 40. To apply a staple to the work the implement may be placed on the work and the knob 54 ofl the plungerl 52 depressed to cause the vdriver 55 to descend.v As the lower end of the driver 55 engages the crossbar of the forward staple it will shear this staple from the remainder of the strip and force it downwardly through the throat and into the work. During the downward movement of the staple S its rearward side slides along the next succeeding staple in the strip. In this manner the staple will be guided in the throat 40 formed between the forward end of the magazine-core I5 and the rearward walll of the gate 25 while its legs will be prevented from canting rearwardly by their engagement with the legs of the next succeeding staple on the core. As an added precaution against rocking or tilting ofthe legs of the staple the cam-surfacesvZU formed -at the end of the core I5 are adapted to engage the lower ends Vof vthe legs to cam them Vforwardly in alinement with the driver v55. I.

jW'henit is desired to apply staples s having shorter vlegs s tothe work a strip or stick composed,l of staples of this latter type may be loaded onto the magazine-core I5 inthe same manner in which the staples SI are inserted into the implement. It will be noted that when staples s having legs of shorter length are used the ends of their legs s' will ride across the lupper edge of the finger l0, as indicated in Figs. 3, 6 and 10, so that the inner end of the finger will remain engaged againstY the side of the core I5 by the action of the resilient arm or leaf-spring 68 of which it forms apart. When the staple-driver is depressed to drivel Aa staple s into the work the rearward side of the legs s of the staple will be guided by the legs of the next succeeding staple in the series until it passes therebeyond. When the staple s passes beyond the next staple on the core I5 its legs s will be prevented from rocking or canting rearwardly by the guide-finger 'I0 which serves to direct thestaple in a substantially vertical path or in the plane of the descending driver,

The present drawings illustrate the stapleguiding means as embodied in -a single member 68 having its nger 'l0 engageable with one leg of a staple to guide the latter during the stapledriving operation. It is to be understood however, that a pair of guide-members 68 may be provided if desired, onev at each side of the head 3, with their lingers 'l0 adapted to engage with and support both legs of the staple being driven into the work- It will be observed from the foregoing specification that the present invention provides a particularly simple yet in-genious means for adapting stapling implements to operate with staples of varying size7 While insuring that each type of staple will be properly guided as it is driven down through the throat of the implement and into the work. By means of the resilient guidemember, which comes into play automatically in accordance with the size oi the staples being used, staples having extremelyshort legs are properly supported at the rear so that they cannotvrock or tilt to cause them to be bent or buckled'to clog the machine.

The present improvement may be applied to practically all types of stapling devices wherein the staples are fed along a core or through a magazine, its parts being so constructed and related as to guard against their becoming deranged or getting out of order. Moreover, thestaple-guiding means may be in-built in the implement at little added cost and through its employment the device is adapted for a wider range of usefulness in applying different types-of staples in laccordance with the requirements of the work.

While the staple-guiding device is herein illustrated as embodied in a preferredform of construction and applied to an implement of certain type, it is to be understood that modifications may be made in the structure and arrangement of its parts and in its method of application without departing from the spirit or scope ofthe invention. Therefore, without limiting myself in this respect, I'claim: Y

1. In a stapling implement, a magazine for su porting staples having legs of varying lengths, a gate normally closing the forward end of the magazine and adapted to be opened t supply staples thereto, means for feeding the staples in the magazine, means for driving staples fed progressively from the magazine, means for guiding staples having relatively short legs as they are driven into the work, and means operative by the gate for displacing the guiding means from operative position when the gate is opened to supply staples to the magazine.

2. In a stapling implement, a magazine comprising a core adapted to support staples having legs of varying lengths, a gate at the forward end of the magazine cooperating with the end of the core to form ra throat through which the staples are driven, said gate being movable to open the iront of the magazine for receiving a supply of staples, means for driving staples through the throat, means for successively feeding the staples to the driving means, means for guiding staples having relatively short legs as they are driven through the throat, and means operative by vmovementV of the gate to'open the magazine for displacing the guiding means from operative position whereby to permitstaples to be supplied to the magazine.

'3. In a stapling implement, la magazine comprising a core adapted to support staples having legs of varying lengths, a gate at the forward end of the magazine cooperating with the end of the core to form a throat through which the staples are driven, said gate being movable to open the front of the magazine for receiving a supply of staples, means for driving the staples through the throat, means for successively feedingv the staples to the driving means, means cooperating with the core at the rear of the throat for guiding staples having relatively short legs as they are driven through the throat, and means on the gate engageable withthe guiding means to dis`- place it with respect to the core when the gate is opened whereby to permit staples to be supplied to the magazine.

4. In an implement of the type indicated, a magazine comprising a core adapted to support staples having legs of different; lengths, a gate at the forward end of the magazine cooperating with the end of the core to form a throat through which the staples are driven, said gate being movable to open the front of the magazine for receiving a supply of staples, means for driving the staples through the throat, means for successively feeding the staples to the driving means, and a resilient member at the rear of the throat for guiding staples having relatively short legs, said gate being engageable with theresilient member when moved to open position whereby to permit staples to be supplied to the magazine.

5. In an implement of the type indicated, a magazine comprising a core adapted to support staples having legs of different lengths, a gate at the forward end of the magazine cooperating with the end of the core to provide a throat through which the staples are driven, said gate being movable to open the front of the magazine to receive a supply of staples, means for driving the staples through the throat, means for successively feeding the staples to the driving means,

a leaf-spring having a nger projecting inwardly toward the core at the rear of the throat, said iinger arranged to guide staples having relatively short legs as they are driven through the throat and said leaf-spring yielding to permit staples having longer legs to pass by its nger, and means on the gate for engaging and moving the resilient member to displace its finger outwardly away from the core when the gate is moved to open the magazine whereby to permit staples to be supplied thereto.

GEORGE H. HARRED. 

